April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
STATEMENT

Diocese's statement on handling of abuse

A decade ago, the Catholic Church began to confront one of its greatest moral crises, when what at first appeared to be isolated incidents of clergy sexual abuse of minors over time came to be understood as a widespread, systemic problem in the United States, Ireland and elsewhere.

In the Albany Diocese, our efforts to protect children have not ended and will not end. As we continue our vigilance, the Albany Diocese is pleased to have reached agreement last week with the 14 district attorneys whose jurisdictions lie within the Diocese on a new memorandum of understanding addressing the handling of sexual abuse complaints brought to the Diocese.

The Albany Diocese has always sought to respond to such allegations in a fair and compassionate manner. We provide pastoral and counseling assistance to victims, and enforce a strict zero tolerance policy related to clergy sexual abuse of minors. No priest or deacon determined to have sexually abused a minor at any time is permitted to remain in ministry, nor can he be transferred into or out of the Diocese. An employee determined to have sexually abused a minor will not remain in the Diocese's employ.

Ten years ago, to ensure we were doing everything we could to respond to this crisis, the Diocese established an independent task force of legal and psychiatric experts, and sought recommendations from district attorneys across the Diocese.

A protocol was developed, incorporating the recommendations of both the task force and the DAs, to guide our response to any allegations of sexual abuse of a minor.

Recently, the district attorneys approached the Diocese with a request to update the protocol and establish a memorandum of understanding that would build upon the collective experience of the last decade and the greater understanding society has today about impacts of sexual abuse of minors.

We fully embraced the principle of reviewing and modifying the agreement, and worked to develop a comprehensive memorandum of understanding that would serve the public interest for years to come.

The Albany Diocese and the DAs' offices have worked together in the most conscientious and responsible way over the last 10 years. This professional working relationship will continue in a spirit of full cooperation and mutual respect.

It is and will continue to be the policy of the Albany Diocese to immediately notify the district attorney's office with appropriate jurisdiction of any allegation it receives regarding sexual or physical abuse of a minor child by a member of the clergy or employee of the Albany Diocese regardless of when such an act was committed. In addition, it is and will continue to be the policy of the Diocese to fully cooperate with the DA's investigation and to defer its own investigation until the DA's investigation has been completed.

If you or someone you know was sexually abused as a minor by a priest, deacon or employee of the Albany Diocese, we urge you to contact the DA's office in the county where the abuse occurred, or any other law enforcement agency. You may also reach out to the diocesan assistance coordinator, Theresa F. Rodrigues, at (518) 453-6646, or at [email protected].[[In-content Ad]]

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